Daily Current Capsules 19^th December 2020

Bilateral Relations
Haldibari - Chilahati rail link

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Haldibari - Chilahati rail link- geographical location) + Mains ( GS II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• India and Bangladesh as a major step towards boosting people to people contact jointly inaugurated a railway link between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh during the PM level virtual bilateral summit.
• A goods train was flagged off by the Railway Minister of Bangladesh from Chilahati station which entered India passing through the international border thus heralding a new era for the people living in both the countries.
• The rail services between Haldibari in West Bengal and Chilahati in Bangladesh resumed in Coochbehar after a gap of 55 years.
• The railway line from Haldibari (West Bengal) to Chilahati (Bangladesh) has been defunct since 1965, after rail-links between India and then East-Pakistan had broken.

India -Bangladesh Rail connection

• The railway network of India and Bangladesh are mostly inherited from British Era Indian Railways.
• After partition in 1947, 7 rail links were operational between India and the then East Pakistan (up to 1965).
• Presently, there are 4 operational rail links between India and Bangladesh. They are, Petrapole (India) - Benapole (Bangladesh), Gede (India) - Darshana (Bangladesh), Singhabad (India)-Rohanpur (Bangladesh), Radhikapur (India)-Birol (Bangladesh).
• The Haldibari - Chilahati rail link being made functional from 17.12.2020 is the 5th rail link between India and Bangladesh.
• The Haldibari - Chilahati rail link was operational till 1965. This was part of the Broad Gauge main route from Kolkata to Siliguri during partition.
• Trains traveling to Assam and North Bengal continued to travel through the then East Pakistan territory even after partition.

The Haldibari - Chilahati rail link (benefits)

• Haldibari - Chilahati route opened on 17.12.2020 will be beneficial for transit into Bangladesh from Assam and West Bengal.
• This newly opened rail link will enhance rail network accessibility to the main ports, dry ports, and land borders to support the growth in regional trade and to encourage economic and social development of the region.
• Common people and businessman of both the countries will be able to reap the benefit of both goods and passenger traffic, once passenger trains are planned in this route.
• With this new link coming into operation, tourist from Bangladesh will be able to visit places like Darjeeling, Sikkim, Dooars apart from countries like Nepal, Bhutan etc easily.
• Economic activities of these South Asian countries will also be benefitted from this new rail link.
• The resumption of railway services in this route will help boost trade, as well as trans-border railway connectivity. Apart from this, the 75-kilometre long track will also help better integrate the rest of the country with the Siliguri corridor, also known as the 'Chicken's Neck.'
• The Chicken's Neck got its name from the stretch of land being only 22 kilometers wide. This is the only piece of land connecting India with its northeastern states, also known as the 'Seven Sisters.'

Defence
India-Maldives Defence Cooperation Webinar and Expo

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the webinar between the two nations)
What's the NEWS

• A webinar and Expo between India and Maldives were held recently
• The Theme of webinar was ‘Joint Indo Maldives High Level Defence Engagement'.
• It was organised under the aegis of Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD) through Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
• This webinar is the part of Aero India 21 series of webinars which is being organised to boost defence cooperation and engagements with friendly foreign countries.

Disaster Management
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about CDRI and its role)+ Mains (GS III Disaster and disaster management )
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare digitally addressed an event by Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
• The theme of the event was "Build Back Better: building resilient health infrastructure and supply chains."

Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)

• Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, announced the global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), at the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 held in New York City on 23 September 2019.
• The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a multi-stakeholder global partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and academic and knowledge institutions. It aims to address the challenges of building resilience into infrastructure systems and development associated with it.
• Developed through consultations with more than 35 countries, CDRI envisions enabling measurable reduction in infrastructure losses from disasters, including extreme climate events.
• CDRI thus aims to enable the achievement of objectives of expanding universal access to basic services and enabling prosperity as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals, while also working at the intersection of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Climate Agreement.
• Established as a platform for generating and exchanging knowledge, CDRI will conduct country-specific and global activities.
• CDRI will provide member countries technical support and capacity development, research and knowledge management, and advocacy and partnerships to facilitate and encourage investment in disaster resilient infrastructure systems.

• In its formative stage, CDRI will focus on developing resilience in ecological infrastructure, social infrastructure with a concerted emphasis on health and education, and economic infrastructure with special attention to transportation, telecommunications, energy, and water.
• Within 2-3 years, the coalition aims to have a 3-fold impact of achieving considerable changes in member countries' policy frameworks, future infrastructure investments and high reduction in economic losses from climate-related events and natural disasters across sectors.
• CDRI will uphold the UN Agenda 2030 principle of leaving no one, no place, and no ecosystem behind, focusing on the most vulnerable regions and populations, while enabling inclusive and deliberative processes that recognize national and local efforts as primal.

Prelims Factoids
Hydroponics, the art of soil-less farming, is trending this year

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Hydroponics)
What's the NEWS

• With this gardening technique, soil is replaced with a solution of water and nutrients for plants to grow.
• One can have a constant yield at all times if the correct amount of nutrients are continuously supplied
• In the absence of soil, water goes to work providing nutrients, hydration, and oxygen to plant life.

Know! all about Hydroponics

• Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants without using soil. Hydroponic flowers, herbs, and vegetables are planted in inert growing media and supplied with nutrient-rich solutions, oxygen, and water.
• This system fosters rapid growth, stronger yields, and superior quality. When a plant is grown in soil, its roots are perpetually searching for the necessary nutrition to support the plant.
• If a plant's root system is exposed directly to water and nutrition, the plant does not have to exert any energy in sustaining itself.
• The energy the roots would have expended acquiring food and water can be redirected into the plant's maturation.
• As a result, leaf growth flourishes as does the blooming of fruits and flowers.
• Plants sustain themselves by a process called photosynthesis. Plants capture sunlight with chlorophyll (a green pigment present in their leaves). They use the light's energy to split water molecules they've absorbed via their root system.
• The hydrogen molecules combine with carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates, which plants use to nourish themselves.
• Oxygen is then released into the atmosphere, a crucial factor in preserving our planet's habitability.
• Plants do not need soil to photosynthesize. They need the soil to supply them with water and nutrients.
• When nutrients are dissolved in water they can be applied directly to the plant's root system by flooding, misting, or immersion.
• Hydroponic innovations have proven direct exposure to nutrient-filled water can be a more effective and versatile method of growth than traditional irrigation.

Government Schemes
Defining Convergence Mechanism in Implementation of PMFME Scheme for Micro Food Processing Industries

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Joint Communique highlights + about PMFME Scheme) + Mains (GS II Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States
What's the NEWS

• A "Joint Communique" was signed between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Minister for Food Processing Industries
• The Joint communique addressed to States clearly defining Convergence mechanism in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme of MoFPI and role of both Central Ministries and their respective departments at State level.
• The tribal areas are rich in raw material and natural resources but do not have the platform and the linkages for processing their forest produce.
• With the help of this MoU, it will now be possible to process the tribal produce, give it a marketable form and create proper linkages so that the product reaches the people who require it.
• TRIFED of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is closely associated in this entire chain of value addition and marketing of tribal products and will be working actively for setting up the micro food processing enterprises.
• The MoU between the two ministries will help in better utilistaion of funds by MoFPI allotted under the STC to various Central ministries

The features of ‘Joint Communique' are as under PM FME Scheme.

• The scheme being implemented by MoFPI is a landmark initiative under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to support Micro Level Food Entrepreneurs, FPOs/SHGs/ Co- operatives.
• The program has four major components i.e., Support to individual and groups of micro enterprises; Branding and Marketing support; Strengthening institutional support and setting up robust project management frameworks with Tribal Sub plan being one of the important elements.
• M/oFood Processing Industries(MoFPI) would fund for development by incubation centers in tribal focused districts under PMFME Scheme for common processing and training to tribal entrepreneurs.
• PMFME Scheme provides for seed capital of up to Rs.40000/- to be given to members of SHGs and others engaged in food processing for working capital and purchase of tools.
• M/oTribal Affairs (MoTA) would identify the tribal enterprises and groups (existing/potential to be engaged) in food processing sector including minor forest produce.
• MoTA through state, district and field level staff would train and build capacity for supporting and handholding of identified beneficiaries to be benefitted under PMFME scheme.
• TRIFED would provide handholding support to Tribal SHGs and Van Dhan SHG groups
• MoFPI and MoTA will review the status and implementation modalities from time to time.

Schedule Tribe Component (STC)

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal Ministry for the welfare of tribals.
• At the same time, there are 37 other Ministries, who have to spend assigned percentage of their budget as per mechanism designed by NITI Aayog, under Tribal sub Plan or Schedule Tribe Component (STC) for welfare of tribals.
• NITI Aayog and M/o Tribal Affairs have been monitoring STC component of such Ministries regularly as per the mandate given to the MoTA in 2017.
• The present collaboration between MoFPI and MoTA will go a long way in socio-economic development of STs across the country and strengthen STC mechanism.

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